Obama Presses Case for Renewable Energy

In a wide-ranging speech on energy and the environment at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mr. Obama called for legislation that would make “the best use of resources we have in abundance, through clean coal technology, safe nuclear power, sustainably grown biofuels and energy we harness from wind, waves and sun.”

Mr. Obama chided critics of the proposed legislation, saying, “There are those who will suggest that moving toward clean energy will destroy our economy when it’s the system we currently have that endangers our prosperity and prevents us from creating millions of new jobs.”

He was apparently referring to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers, which oppose the proposal moving through Congress to cap emissions of greenhouse gases and allow companies to buy and sell permits to pollute. That approach, known as cap and trade, is meant to guarantee that emissions will decline, while providing market incentives for companies to invest in the most cost-effective technologies.

The legislation “provides the largest single boost in scientific research in history,” Mr. Obama said.